The death of TikTok influencer Xiao Qiumei in China has shaken the fan community online, which this month, has grieved for a spate of young celebrity lives lost either in accidents or suicides.
Reports are surfacing from China of the demise of 23-year-old Qiumei, who was a crane operator and known star on Douyin app (China's TikTok). She fell 160 feet to her death on July 20, reportedly mid-livestream for her social media accounts where she had over a lakh fans.
The family of Qiumei, who leaves behind two children, have confirmed her death but insist she fell due to a misstep and not during social media antics as is being claimed by reports and eyewitnesses present on-site in Zhejiang where the incident took place. More on the case here.
TikTok Influencer Xiao Qiumei Dies: Other Celebs Fans Lost In July
1. Caitlyn Loane
A 19-year-old farmer and rising social media star from Tasmania, Australia, Caitlyn Loane reportedly died by suicide earlier this month. Reasons behind the step she took were not revealed. Loane's TikToks on nature, farming, rural work were inspiring for over 50,000 fans. Read all about her here.
2. Sophia Cheung
Sophia Cheung, 32, died in Hong Kong while on a hiking trip with friends in Ha Pak Lai park. Reports following her death claimed the young Instagram vlogger, whose social feed featured adventurous terrain, was trying to take a selfie near a waterfall but slipped and fell 16 feet into the water.
3. Júlia Hennessy Cayuela
A Brazilian influencer with over three lakh followers on Instagram, Júlia Hennessy Cayuela was on a biking trip with her husband through south Brazil when a collision with a truck severely injured them in São José dos Pinhais. Though the 22-year-old influencer was reportedly airlifted to hospital from the crash site, she could not be saved. Her husband survived.
4. Odalis Santos Mena
Popular bodybuilding champ and ">fitness icon Odalis Santos Mena from Mexico was reportedly the victim of a surgery gone wrong. The 23-year-old, during promotions for an anti-sweat technology, was scheduled to go under the knife to have her sweat glands removed but lost her life after anesthesia was administered. The clinic she visited has claimed they were not made aware of the steroids in Mena's body, which upon coming in contact with the anesthesia, caused "immediate respiratory arrest." More on the case here.
Suggested Readings:
Chinese TikTok Star Xiao Qiumei, 23, Dies While Filming Video: Reports
Instagram Influencer Júlia Hennessy Cayuela Dead At 22 In Bike Accident
Influencer Deaths And How Internet Communities Are Facing Grief Up Close